Career in Merchant Navy

Career in Merchant Navy

A career in Merchant navy is very tempting for those who love to travel around the globe & explore new and fascinating places. Basically exploring the whole wide world and the adrenaline of crossing oceans and being always on the move.

Merchant Navy must not be confused with the “Navy” we commonly know about. career in Merchant navy is involved in mostly providing commercial services as opposed to the ‘Navy’ which is essentially providing defence services to our nation.

Merchant Navy can be called as the backbone of international trade division. The entire business of import-export is dependant upon career in Merchant navy.

This a rather glamorous and unusual kinda job because one would be always on the move, travelling far and wide and being paid for it, Traversing seas and oceans.

Job Profile

As said earlier, One would be travelling far and wide and also the job is bit challenging and is monetarily rewarding. The Job Profile / career in Merchant navy of a Merchant navy officer is to take on responsibilities of crew & cargo, navigation & communications onboard one’s ship.

The duties would be different for different designations in career in Merchant navy​

Captain – The captain of a ship would take the overall responsibility of the ship’s crew, cargo, passengers, overall running and safety of the ship and all its inhabitants. The captain would be handling the commercial & legal matters of the ship.

Chief Officer – A chief officer would be the captain’s subordinate, kind of. The chief officer would be handling the maintenance, deck operations, cargo handling and storage matters. He would also be supervising other officers and manage work schedules.

Second Officer – A second officer would be handling the responsibilities of satellite, using radar, computer systems and navigation. Their tasks are also to carry out watch duties at port and sea and also to monitor the speed, direction, weather reports, vessel’s position.

Third Officer – This would be the entrant’s post as he joins after graduation. He would be handling the most basic duties of a Merchant Navy officer. One would be handling the ship’s lifeboats and safety of the ship. He would be assisting the third officer in command.

Skills Required

One should be confident and willing to lead a not so normal life, being on the move, most of the time.

Must love to travel and not be sea sick.

Must love adventure and challenging work.

Must be good in Mathematics, would be very helpful in navigation calculations.

Must possess good communication skills and also be well spoken.

He should be enthusiastic about the work and should be mentally prepared for it.

Must also not get home sick, as in this profession , one would be away from home, family and friends for long periods of time.

Must have keen understanding and interest in latest vessel technology.

Being decisive.

Must have excellent team working skills.

Must be able to plan effectively, including contingencies.

Must be able to prioritise workloads.

Be able to handle emergencies and tough condition by being calm and decisive.

Salary Package

The salary package for a career in Merchant navy / merchant navy officer may range from 8,000 INR to 8,00,000 INr a month. This would depend on several factors such as, seniority, company to company, export import demands, city to city etc.

A third officer would draw a salary of about 50,000 INR a month.

A junior officer would command an average of 30,000 INR a month.

A Second officer would also command a salary of 40,000 a month, on average.

A Captain would command a pay scale of 1,50,000 INR a month.

In addition to lucrative pay scales, one would also be getting a lot of perks and incentives too.

Job Prospects

There are immense job opportunities in this profession. One can become a Merchant Navy officer after completing the course through placement agencies or consultants and also through general on-campus placements by some companies.

A Merchant navy officer would more easily get work in a cargo ship than other types of ships. There are many shipping companies in India, such as Great Eastern shipping, Shipping corporation of india, Essar & chowgule shipping company.

How Do I get there ?

To be Merchant Navy officer, One needs to have passed 12th science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Maths combination.

The candidate should be an unmarried male or female citizen of India.

The vision should be normal, but in some cases a number of .5 to 2.5 may be allowed.

The entrance is through an admission test, followed by screening test, and then a main written examination.